Less than an hour into Friday’s testimony, President Trump tweeted from the White House that, “Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad.”
But Republicans in today's hearing aren’t going anywhere near that during their questioning.
Instead, they have heaped praise on Yovanovitch, a career foreign service officer.
“Georgetown students are lucky to have you. We are lucky to have you in foreign service, and I again want to thank you for your tremendous public service,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, referring to Yovanovitch’s current position at Georgetown University.
“Than you so very much for long service, exemplary service,” Rep. Mike Conway said.
What this means: It’s a sign that despite Trump’s message, Republicans see Yovanovitch as a sympathetic witness whose government service is worthy of praise.
And it's a notable difference in tone between Hill Republicans and the White House.
Still, Trump’s staunchest allies are not backing off his tweet, which Democrats have now said amounted to real-time witness intimidation.
Here's what the White House said about it:
“The tweet was not witness intimidation, it was simply the President’s opinion, which he is entitled to. This is not a trial, it is a partisan political process — or to put it more accurately, a totally illegitimate, charade stacked against the President. There is less due process in this hearing than any such event in the history of our country. It’s a true disgrace.”
9 min ago
Democratic lawmaker: Trump attacks "in language that would embarrass a mob boss"
Pool
Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut, said he's angry on behalf of all diplomats, military officers and intelligence officials following President Trump's attack on ex-ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.
Earlier today, as Yovanovitch was giving her opening statement, President Trump criticized her work on Twitter.
Here's what Himes said:
"I'm angry that a woman like you would be not just dismissed but humiliated and attacked by the President of the United States. And I'm not just angry for you: I'm angry for every single foreign service officer, for every single military officer, for every intelligence officer who right now might believe that a lifetime of service and sacrifice and excellence might be ignored by the President of the United States — or worse yet — attacked in language that would embarrass a mob boss."
He added: "Now, it's the President's defense — and it's emerging from my Republican colleagues today — that this is all OK."
14 min ago
White House defends Trump: "The tweet was not witness intimidation"
From CNN's Betsy Klein
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham defended President Trump's tweet about US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, saying it was not witness intimidation.
“The tweet was not witness intimidation, it was simply the President’s opinion, which he is entitled to," said said. "This is not a trial, it is a partisan political process — or to put it more accurately, a totally illegitimate, charade stacked against the President. There is less due process in this hearing than any such event in the history of our country. It’s a true disgrace."
Earlier today, Trump fired off these tweets during Yovanovitch's testimony:
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
· 3h
Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go? Then fast forward to Ukraine, where the new Ukrainian President spoke unfavorably about her in my second phone call with him. It is a U.S. President’s absolute right to appoint ambassadors.
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
....They call it “serving at the pleasure of the President.” The U.S. now has a very strong and powerful foreign policy, much different than proceeding administrations. It is called, quite simply, America First! With all of that, however, I have done FAR more for Ukraine than O.
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15 min ago
GOP lawyer suggests "there are elements of the Ukrainian establishment that are advocating against" Trump
Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images
Republican counsel Steve Castor suggested "that there are elements of the Ukrainian establishment that are advocating against" President Trump while questioning the former US Ambassador to Ukraine.
In response to his questions, Yovanovitch said that she didn't have "any information to suggest" that Trump was being targeted.
Castor then brought up a Ukrainian investigative journalist's reporting on former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, who was sentenced to almost four years in prison for financial fraud convictions obtained by special counsel Robert Mueller.
"The way events unfolded ... Mr. Manafort was, you know, subsequently left to campaign and it certainly did begin a period of interest in Manafort's ties to Russia and so forth," Castor said, leaving Yovanovitch open to respond:
"I think that that may have been the effect here in the United States. Obviously it was of interest to journalists and others here, that Mr. Manafort was former president [Viktor] Yanukovych's political adviser and he was the political adviser, head of a campaign here. And so we all know that that there have been court cases and so forth where Mr. Manafort was found guilty of certain actions. But at the end of the day, President Trump won the elections."
Watch:
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25 min ago
Members now get to ask Yovanovitch questions
The first round of questioning — which included 45 minutes for House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff and Democrats' lawyer, and 45 minutes for ranking member Devin Nunes and the GOP lawyer — is over.
Now, each of the 22 members on the committee will get five minutes at ask ex-ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch questions. Each member is allowed to give his or her time to another member if they'd like.
More:
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/impeachment-hearing-11-15-19/index.html